Sneaky Familiar
by Egyptian Dreamer
Summary: At the day of the Summoning Ritual, Harry got a familiar he had never even dreamt of getting. But what happens when said familiar is connected to the Dark Lord in a way? ABANDONED
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone!**

**I had an idea the other night while watching the Goblet of Fire.**

**Nagini is said to be Voldemort's familiar, so I thought then; why not make the rest of the wizards have familiars too?**

**But most importantly, what familiar would suit better our little hero?**

**So, that's what this**** story is based on.**

**CHAPTER ONE **

It was magnificent outside, the trees, the birds, the crystal clear blue sky… everything seemed to be pulsing with life. Christmas was only two weeks away, but surprisingly enough, nature was particularly pleasant today, even if it was pouring only the day before.

It might had to do with the fact that not even nature could bring herself to destroy the all too joyful mood that seemed to be wrapping the entire castle in its folds.

And just for today, it had nothing to do with school break being just around the corner.

Quite on the contrary actually. If possible, that little fact was all but forgotten today.

For today, was the day of the Summoning Ritual. The day that each and every one of the sixth year students would be getting their lifelong familiar, a being that would assist them in every way possible and would stay loyal to its master no matter the situation.

It was with great anticipation that this day was awaited by every single sixth year at Hogwarts. Its residents, not only the pupils, but ghosts, teachers, house elves, portraits and generally every being of the castle, couldn't help but share the students' excitement.

The seventh years, having already gone through this ceremony themselves in their previous year, could only sympathize with their fellow wizards and witches, knowing all too well the anxiety, nervousness and seer bliss the others must be experiencing, having felt those emotions to their core.

The atmosphere was so overwhelmingly high, that the younger students couldn't help but be affected as well.

Well, the fact that all classes had been canceled in the light of today's events might have been an additional reason.

Of course, be that as it may, a single student wasn't meant to be at peace not even today.

The Summoning Ritual was the least of Harry's concerns at the moment. His thoughts were riling, swirling around in his head and making his brain go fuzzy. When Dumbledore had told him on the start of the year that they would be having lessons together, Harry had never anticipated the subject of those lessons.

Which was none other than Lord Voldemort himself, or rather, Tom Riddle as he was known back in his early years.

Harry would have never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that the Headmaster would be showing him memories of Voldemort's past, not even as means to getting to know the dark wizard's traits.

So far, he had only learnt of the man's origins, who his parents were and what kind of family he descended from. All in all, Harry found it reasonable that Voldemort could not even begin to decipher the meaning of the word love. He hadn't even been conceived out of love, his existence was only due to a potion that his mother had been administering to his father.

His father…

Tom Riddle Sr. was a pathetic excuse of a human being in Harry's opinion. Just because he was a Muggle, and just like every Muggle afraid of the unknown and unexplainable, he wasted no chance to abandon his wife upon learning of her nature. And his unborn child no less.

Truly pathetic, not even capable of taking responsibility of his actions.

Not that his mother could for that matter.

Merope Gaunt could only be described as a miserable woman, starved for love and the slightest bit of affection, making her desperate to escape that hell hole she called home.

But she was just as irresponsible as her husband. After being abandoned by the man she loved, it was as if she lost all desire to remain alive, as if her life was completely and utterly meaningless without him. She had even preferred death over her own child.

It made Harry sad, no matter how hard he tried not to be, telling himself that this was his parents' murderer they were talking about. It made his mind and thoughts wander far away from his reach, to the point that he had no control whatsoever over them.

Would Voldemort have been different if he had been raised by at least one of his parents?

But that only confirmed his suspicions that Voldemort was never meant to be loved. His past was all the proof they needed. That man had not only been born out of a mistake, but his soul had never experienced the slightest bit of real affection since his parents had never put love into his conception.

That fake feeling created by the love potion didn't even count.

And quite obviously from his past experiences so far, Harry wasn't meant to have a single peaceful year, whether it was here at Hogwarts or back to the Dursleys.

His eyes darted around, taking in the groups of students, talking excitingly and laughing like they had no care in the world. Oh, how he longed to be like them, carefree like them.

But it didn't matter now. The moment that scar was permanently imprinted onto his forehead, his fate had been sealed.

But enough of those misery filled thoughts. Emerald eyes staring right ahead as he made his way down the Grand Staircase, he allowed the gravity of today's meaning sink down.

He was going to get a familiar.

He couldn't help the grin that spread over his face at that thought. Sirius would be so proud if he got a dog. A wolf would do as well, it would be just like Lupin. He didn't know his dad's familiar, what kind of animal it had been and all that. He didn't know his mother's either…

If only he had considered asking Sirius about it while he still could, and Lupin was totally out of the question. Too many painful memories and he definitely didn't wish to cause the man any more pain.

A dismissive shake of the head in his attempt to shoo every unwanted thought away sent multiple strands of pitch black hair flying at every direction. But just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, every musing of that kind was chased away by all the sensations that literally overwhelmed him.

All sixth years were gathered outside the closed doors of the Great Hall, but for the first time, the students didn't stick with their respective housemates.

They were scattered all over the place, for once not caring about Houses and rivalries, none of them able to suppress their joy. Well, at least most of them. The all too noble House of Slytherin never ceased to be an exception to the rule.

But Harry didn't even bother to hide his amusement at the way the pure-bloods kept fidgeting and playing with the hems of their robes. It really amazed him how bound they were to their perfect ways, always appearing nonchalant even when they were giddy from excitement on the inside.

They never changed.

Arms were suddenly wrapped around him from behind, catching Harry off guard and nearly making him jump out of his skin. He spun around, only to be embraced properly this time, his own hands coming up around the person once he recognized their identity.

"Hello to you too, Hermione."

As if that was her cue, the girl instantly drew away, a wide smile breaking onto her features as she gazed at him. "Isn't this amazing, Harry? We're finally getting our very own familiars!"

Harry scrunched up his face into a mock hurt expression. "And here I thought that hug was because you missed me."

Hermione huffed and punched him playfully in the shoulder, emitting a laugh from him. A flash of red caught Harry's attention and he looked up just as the third and final member of their group came to a halt next to them.

"I swear she's more worked up about this ritual thing than she is with homework." Ron muttered quietly, leaning purposely closer to Harry as if telling a secret but his eyes never strayed from Hermione's.

Catching up to his friend's intention, Harry leaned close as well, "Better not let McGonagall see this. She would be most disappointed with her brilliant lioness."

"Knock it off, you two!" Hermione finally exclaimed, reaching out to smack her best friends in the head, earning identical chuckles in return as Harry and Ron took a few steps back to avoid her hands.

"So," Harry started after a moment, a smile still playing at his lips, "anything important I missed?"

Ron seemed to ponder over it, a frown twisting at his lips. "McGonagall gathered us in the common room, said some rubbish about the importance of today's Ritual."

Hermione flushed, her cheeks puffing up into a huff as she pointed an accusing finger at Ron, "That was actually important, Ronald! We didn't know half the stuff she talked about."

Ron however gave her an indifferent shrug. "Who cares whether or not the animal they summon breathes fire or slithers in the ground? The point is to just summon something."

"Of course it matters! Wouldn't you be proud if you got a creature with an actual ability rather than something common?" Hermione shot back, arms resting on her hips in emphasis.

"Wait… what?" Harry asked, completely flabbergasted by the whole turn of their conversation.

Hermione sighed exasperatedly, but if the way she was glaring at Ron was any indication, Harry had a feeling that he wasn't the target of her frustration. She crossed her arms, before stubbornly turning her back to Ron to address Harry. "She told us about the… categories, I guess you can call it, that the familiars are sorted into."

"Categories…" Harry repeated with a frown, staring between her and Ron as if they were crazy.

"Basically, the more dangerous the familiar is, the stronger the wizard." Hermione explained, brown eyes connecting with emerald in search of some understanding in them.

Dangerous. That word kept repeating in Harry's mind like a mantra. Dangerous… meaning, possessing some kind of ability capable to cause harm. To cause harm…

'_Shit!'_Harry cursed mentally, his thoughts going back to their previous musings, concerning a certain dark wizard. "Voldemort's familiar is a viper." he grumbled before cursing out loud. A few of their housemates gave him weird looks but wisely chose not to comment upon it, instead going back to their own business.

"Bloody hell," muttered Ron, "that explains it." Hermione nodded, her features scrunched up into a worried expression. Why hadn't they thought of the most obvious?

"Of course he wouldn't summon a 'common' familiar." Harry said just as quietly with sarcasm lapping at his voice, feet beginning to pace around the other two without his notice, "Nagini is not just _any_ viper. She's enormous, much larger than any snake, with the exception of a basilisk of course, and _much_ more poisonous."

"You kidding? The healers at St. Mungo's said that if we were another minute late, dad wouldn't have made it for sure." Ron said with a scowl, lips curling into an angry sneer.

"That thing isn't only poisonous. From what Harry had said, her jaws can actually rip out human flesh." Hermione's words caused involuntary shivers to course through their bodies, their skin crawling just from the image of it. A single glance was exchanged between them and their silent agreement was voiced. That subject was not to be discussed, in the near future at least.

Their heads whipped to the side with a start at the creaking sound, and it wasn't just them. All students fell quiet in an instant, waiting for the huge double doors of the Great Hall to open completely.

From there on, they were to do as instructed. One by one, each House was to step inside, where the Headmaster and their assigned Head of House would be waiting. Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey would be present as well, in case of… an emergency. The specific Ritual after all, was strictly forbidden to proceed without supervision.

The students were to go inside one at a time. After the Ritual was completed, they would be exiting the Great Hall by the entrance that was normally used only by the teaching staff.

Gryffindor was assigned to go first, a fact that had displeased the Slytherins quite dearly for that matter.

Each Head of House had instructed their pupils earlier that morning according to the order with which they would enter.

Hermione and Ron were supposed to enter before him, something that had agitated Harry a little at first, and with the new revelation of the meaning behind the animals they would get, that agitation had only worsened.

One by one, each student went in, and all Harry could do was wait and watch as the doors closed behind his two best friends separately, only able to wish them luck, loathing the fact that no one would wish it for him.

After all, he was the last on the list, with Neville as the next to last.

Professor McGonagall had assured him that this was only a matter of precaution. Already aware of his past, Harry didn't blame them for being worried about the kind of familiar he would summon. He was way too unpredictable, a little fact that all teachers had learnt by now.

Neville's turn soon came, the ritual itself surprisingly enough lasting only for a couple of minutes. Harry was then the last to remain of his House but before the doors closed he was totally caught off guard by the softly whispered, "Good luck, Harry."

"Oh, you too!" he hurried to reply, just in time for Neville's from to disappear behind the doors. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, Neville's words having a soothing effect that he had never expected.

After last year's eventful face off with the Dark Lord's forces, the three of them had grown closer with not only Neville but Luna as well. Those two had been the only ones willing enough to stick with him when he needed help the most, aside from Ron and Hermione. They had even risked their lives when they knew the danger and possible trap they were walking into.

As if guided by his train of thought, his eyes traveled up and down the swarms of students that had once again huddled together to ease their anticipation, seeking out one specific Ravenclaw witch and spotting her not long after, sitting on her own just behind her housemates.

Emerald eyes narrowed. They were passing past her as if she was completely nonexistent, they didn't even bother to look at her. Harry was totally baffled by this. Such a stark contrast with his own housemates. No matter the time and place, the Gryffindors would always greet each other or talk even if it was about the silliest of stuff. But then again, hadn't he done the same? He wasn't even aware of the girl's existence before his fifth year.

His mind went back, recalling the way he had been upset just because there wouldn't be anyone from his own House to keep him company, someone to help his agitated nerves. Luna was amongst her entire House and yet it was as if she wasn't.

He was already making his way over to her without even considering it twice.

The blonde witch lifted her head when he joined her, mimicking her position and leaning his own back against the wall. He had never expected the smile that graced her features to be so warm.

"Hey, Harry." she said in her usual soft toned voice that the raven haired teen had grown so accustomed to.

"Nervous, Luna?"

Stray locks of golden hair brushed softly against his cheek as the person in question shook her head. "Nervous wouldn't be my specific choice of word. I know I'll get a familiar that suits better with my soul. That's why there's nothing to be nervous about."

Harry's perplexed blink of the eyes was involuntary. "Your soul?" It was a pretty much common occurrence for the girl to talk about incomprehensible things that most people had never heard of. Was this another one of those things?

Luna tilted her head to the side and gave him a funny look, as if he was the one talking nonsense here, "Didn't you know, Harry? It's said that the familiars we summon are destined for us, suiting only the wizard or witch that summons them according to that person's soul and persona."

Black eyebrows creased into a well deserved frown. The whirls in his mind were moving furiously, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Luna's words. "So… the meanest a wizard is, the more dangerous animal he gets?" His thoughts had wandered back to his supposed nemesis on their own accord.

Luna's lips curled into a small frown, eyes staring somewhere out in the distance while she seemed to ponder over it. And Harry found himself strangely attached to the words she was going to say, waiting her response with an uneasy feeling growing in his gut.

When her attention was once again focused on him, Harry let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. The minutes were flying by with a speed he now found himself despising.

"If a person is mean just on the outside so as not to be seen as weak, I highly doubt it. But if one's soul really is black, then they will probably summon a creature with a heart just as black." Luna's gentle smile was back in place, but this time it offered little to no comfort to Harry.

As if on cue, the double doors of the Great Hall opened yet again, signaling that Neville's time was over and that Harry was next. Mind and pulse still racing, the last of the lions stepped away from the wall. He would have wished Luna good luck but he remembered that according to her this ritual was irrelevant with luck and so, with a quick 'I'll see you later' and a small wave he made his way inside, only vaguely hearing the girl's response of, "I hope you'll like your match, Harry."

His head hurt from the information he had get in a single evening. Thoughts about evil Dark Lords, murderous snakes and predestined familiars made absolutely no sense to him anymore.

He did know one thing though…

This Ritual would decide the course his fate would take from then on.

Newborn panic began clawing at his insides, making his stomach clench in a vey much unpleasant way. What if the familiar he got wasn't the one he was hoping for?

What if he got something that wasn't approved of?

Hermione had said that if the familiar possessed an ability, whether it was a killing or defensive one, it would only be a sign of the sorcerer's potential.

But according to Luna, the familiar would represent the nature of his soul, depending on the animal he would get.

What was he supposed to believe?

He could feel the first rounds of a headache and he thought for a moment if he could ask Madam Pomfrey for a pain reliever potion. It wouldn't do to proceed with the Ritual if he couldn't focus his full attention on it.

The doors closed behind him with a loud slamming sound and he couldn't help that feeling of a trapped animal that shot up his spine, making him shudder. He instructed himself to keep breathing, saying over and over again in his mind that this was just him being paranoid, that it was going to end with the perfect familiar following him out of this room.

Damn… he had never been good with convincing himself.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**

**I hope you liked the first chapter of my new story, and if you did I'm waiting for your response.**

**I've been toying with the concept of familiars in my mind for a while now, so I decided to put it down on paper.**

**What do you think then? Was it any good?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A huge thanks to you guys for the wonderful reviews you left for me!**

**And to clear some things up; ****I'm aware that Luna is a fifth year student, but since her way of thinking will be essential for this story, I had to make her a sixth year. Ginny is still a fifth year though.**

**Oh, and I really liked the suggestions you left me but I'm afraid that none of you guessed it correctly. ****Fair warning!**** You will be in for a little bit of a shock. **

**CHAPTER TWO**

The first thing that literally overwhelmed his senses was the pitch black darkness that seemed to cover the entire Hall. Seriously, if it wasn't for the lit candles that hovered in the midnight ceiling, Harry wouldn't have been able to see beyond his own nose.

Blinking a couple of times to help his eyes adjust to the darkness, Harry realized for the first time that the Great Hall had been transformed just for the Ritual.

No, not transformed… The entire Hall had been completely emptied.

Harry had never seen it like this before. Devoid of every single piece of furniture, the Great Hall was now huger than ever. Actually, it was kind of unsettling. He was used to walking in here and seeing the four, long tables, one for every House and the staff table overlooking over the other four, like watching over them.

It might was necessary for the ceremony, but that barely lit Hall was radiating such a spooky feeling that definitely was of no help for Harry's rampaging emotions.

He took a tentative step forward, wondering suddenly if this was some sort of test set by the teachers to see if their magical powers were grown enough for them to take the responsibility of owning a familiar.

But nothing happened.

Suppressing the groan that was a second away from leaving his throat, Harry slipped out his wand from the inside of his Hogwarts robes and moved forward, his steps resonating throughout the hollow room rather loudly.

The light from the candles was a tad brighter in the centre of the Hall, and after seeing the company that was obviously waiting for him, he realized why.

This was where the Summoning Ritual would take place, right in the centre.

"Your time has finally come, Mr. Potter." McGonagall was the first to speak, "I trust you didn't wait long?" That last sentence was accompanied by an arched eyebrow.

"No, professor." replied Harry, aware that this was the answer she was expecting.

"As you know," Dumbledore began while taking a step forward, "none of your classmates had been informed about the proceeding after your entrance in the Great Hall."

Harry nodded curtly, not daring to interrupt his Headmaster, especially not when the old wizard seemed to be so serious.

Nodding back in approval, Dumbledore went on, "That's for a fairly simple reason. This Ritual is a very sacred one, therefore it is not proper for just anyone to know its procedure. Not wise either. For someone with not much experience with magical rituals, one single mistake could prove deadly serious and sometimes, even irreversible."

Harry could only nod mutely. From the tone of Dumbledore's voice, he didn't even want to think about the consequences that would befall any soul unfortunate enough to fail.

Probably sensing the boy's already disturbed emotions, Dumbledore's whole demeanor seemed to change, melting away and leaving his usual positive mood in place.

Harry was seriously beginning to worry about the effect that the man held on him when it only needed one of Dumbledore's soft smiles for his racing heart to settle somehow.

"There's no need to worry, my boy. We will be there to assist you in every step." Harry nodded, genuinely thankful to hear this.

McGonagall lifted her hand, performed a few circling motions in the air with her wand and Harry was aware of the widening if his eyes when two identical red circles were molded into the floor. The woman then raised her eyes to stare at his own, gaze softening considerably when she gestured him forward.

Bracing himself, Harry did as instructed and moved to step into the circle a few feet before him, unconsciously glancing at its twin on the right side of him.

"What is required of you, Harry, is to concentrate. Think strongly and focus on summoning your familiar to you… your magic will do the rest. We will have to cast the incantation, but you only need to center on your task. Is that understood?"

Harry nodded once again, emerald locking with sky blue for a moment, projecting whatever silent questions he was concerned with, but all Dumbledore did was smile reassuringly at him. And then the contact was over. The Headmaster turned to McGonagall, an unvoiced agreement that it was time to proceed.

Wands raised with perfect synchronicity, the enchantments began. They spoke in a language Harry had never heard before but that only fascinated him all the more. It did sound ancient though and Harry noted that it lacked the occasional sibilant hisses that Parseltongue required.

Had he been more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed the red light that the circle was emitting, brightening as the incantation went on.

He was snapped out of his thoughts though once those multicolored sparks made their appearance. Bright flashes of violet, green, deep blue and scarlet were everywhere around him, circling him and occasionally touching him. It sent warm vibes in his entire body, skin tingling pleasantly from where they had touched him.

"Potter!" Snape barked all of a sudden, making Harry curse inwardly at the man for bringing him out of his sweet daze. But it effectively reminded him that he had been given a task and was supposed to accomplish it.

Hand tightening around his wand, Harry closed his eyes, finding it easier that way to concentrate since he wouldn't be distracted by the sparks. He could feel his magic awakening at his call, pulsing with life like every time he was about to cast a spell.

Concentrate on calling your familiar to you, Dumbledore had said.

But how was he supposed to do that? They hadn't given him any other instructions. He knew he couldn't just think of a random animal and will it to come to him. There was a specific familiar out there, waiting for his summons, but how should he proceed with doing that? Only now he understood what McGonagall had meant that morning by saying that it would only be natural if they didn't succeed with the first try.

But it really was hard thinking about your familiar and restrain yourself from thinking about a certain animal.

As if she had slithered into his mind from an invisible opening, his thoughts were filled with images of Nagini, wondering what could have possibly made Voldemort summon her.

He knew for a given that a person couldn't have just been born evil, something must have happened to them to turn out this way.

But Voldemort had only been sixteen by the time the Summoning Ritual must have taken place.

It didn't make any sense to him.

Why was Voldemort, when he was nothing but another teenage boy, so intent to cause harm?

Or perhaps it could have been his lust for power that made him the way he is, or the fact that in all his years at Hogwarts he didn't feel any need to create friends. Supporters on the other hand and colleagues, according to Dumbledore, he had plenty. But never such an intimate thing as friends.

Not that he was one to talk…

If he had never met Ron that first day at Hogwarts Express, he would have probably gone along with the Hat's wishes and let it sort him into Slytherin. And if that had happened, he would have probably never made real friends… just like Riddle.

Things would have certainly been much more different if he had been a Slytherin. Even his beliefs and ideals.

He really did feel sorry for Voldemort. When he had told him that, he never thought just how much depth his words had. Even when he was still Tom Riddle, not even then had he felt any love or friendship.

He shuddered suddenly, somehow feeling a chilliness slipping into his bones despite his sweating forehead from the effort he was putting by tapping into his core.

It startled and worried him at the same time, so he decided to open his eyes, intending to ask if he was doing something wrong. The looks that greeted him though made him frown.

Madam Pomfrey was openly gaping and McGonagall and Snape were wearing identical looks of bewilderment.

Dumbledore seemed to be the only one still able to control his facial features, but the way he was holding his body was simply screaming tenseness.

Harry's insides seemed to have frozen over. What the hell had he done now?

A wince left his lips when his right hand began stinging all of the sudden, but when that slight stinging sensation turned into a steady, scorching burning, Harry had to bite down his lip so as not to let out a cry of pain.

His wand fell from his trembling hand as he brought it up to his line of vision, frantically searching for the burn marks or any indication about what could have possibly caused this excruciating pain. And yet, his hand seemed to be completely unscathed. He cradled his hand close to his chest, hoping that the torture would finally end.

A movement to his right however caught his attention. With eyes blurry from the pain, Harry could only make out the outline of a figure, standing there, in the middle of the other red circle.

The form was definitely human. And for some unexplainable reason, they seemed to be experiencing the same kind of torment, for the figure was clutching the same hand as Harry.

A muffled moan escaped through his firmly pressed lips. Damn! This could proudly rival the intensity of the pain that only his scar had achieved to inflict on him so far.

He wasn't fazed by the pain, he had after all endured a Cruciatus Curse from the Dark Lord himself. No, what worried him was that it was occurring in the midst of the Summoning Ritual. Was this perhaps one of the consequences that Dumbledore spoke of? Had he really done something wrong?

Harry looked up, but before he could track one of the professors, his eyes locked with green. A green so dark that he had only ever seen in the Forbidden Forest, when he had ventured deeper while in pursuit of those spiders, back in his second year.

Those trees had leaves so dark, that it was as if the sunlight had never graced them with its glory.

It made him wonder for a second; was it possible for such an eye color to even exist?

He was aware of course, of the color of his own eyes, but he was always told how an unnaturally bright shade of emerald they were. The polar opposite of the eyes he was currently staring at.

But the contact was abruptly cut off when hands were on his face, grabbing it. He was painfully aware of the way they were gripping his jaw, forcing it open while tilting his head backwards. He squirmed but only accomplished to make the seemingly iron grip tighten all the more.

From the corner of his eyes, he managed to catch a glimpse of blurry movements, and from the looks of it, it seemed like fighting.

The figure from before was trying to hold off another person, but the moves seemed kind of clumsy, probably due to the pain that the former was under.

A cold liquid substance was suddenly shoved down his throat before one of the hands clamped down on his mouth, preventing him from spitting it out. And before he knew it, Harry's world had gone blank.

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**

**Hehe, the ritual surely wasn't what Harry had foreseen. And it only gets more interesting from this point on!**

**But I do believe that you must have figured out by now the nature of Harry's familiar by now.**

**Waiting for your response!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heh, s****eems like you figured out who's going to be Harry's familiar. ;)**

**But I do feel the need to straighten out something. Tom's case will be much different. I would never make him the more submissive of the two, and honestly I can't even imagine him submit to anyone for that matter.**

**I intend to keep Tom's character the way we know him, or imagine him to be since we don't know much about him.**

**And for those of you who are confused, this chapter will definitely clear things up!**

**CHAPTER THREE**

He was shaking for some reason, or rather someone was shaking him, and quite violently for that matter. Harry groaned; they had no classes today so couldn't they just leave him to his slumber?

And he had been having such a wonderful dream.

For some peculiar reason, he dreamt of forests and trees. Strange, but he still didn't mind. There were no animals in his dream, only those endless green walls in every direction. Perhaps he should have been scared, but the only thing he could think of was how peaceful that place felt.

Why did they have to wake him?

"'M up, I'm up…" he mumbled finally and those hands were instantly dismissed, thankfully.

He rubbed at his eyes with one hand while raising himself up on the mattress with the other. His glasses were gently placed in his palm then, and with a muttered 'thanks' he put them on.

He nearly jumped when Hermione's worried face came into view… only a few inches away from his own.

"Um… hey?" he croaked, voice failing him from sleeping, and coughed into his hand in order to bring it to its usual volume. Hermione's brown eyebrows creased into a frown before she finally pulled away, eyes studying his face as if searching for something.

"Harry, what happened?" He had just pulled the covers off him and was ready to rise from his bed when her question caught him by surprise and he outright blinked.

"What do you mean by…- Why the heck am I sleeping with my robes on?" His gaze drifted from his body, which he only now took notice it was fully dressed, back to Hermione, whose frown instantly dropped and was replaced by her previous concerned expression.

"Don't you remember, Harry?" Okay, now he was the one beginning to worry. What was his friend talking about?

"Remember what, Hermione?" he prompted, absently rising from the bed.

His question seemed to have upset his friend further, for she began fidgeting on her spot, hands clasped together behind her back and mouth opening as if to ask something before closing awkwardly.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Harry couldn't help the heavy sigh that passed through his lips. The last thing…

…What did he remember?

Wait, wait! He recalled going to Dumbledore's office, but their meeting had taken place that morning and now it seemed to be, what, evening?

Oh, that's right. Today was the Summoning Ritual. Yes, he remembered walking into the Great Hall after his talk with Luna, and then the ceremony had started. But that couldn't be right… Where was his familiar then? The ceremony; something had happened in the ceremony…

"I remember green…Wait, did I get into a fight with a Slytherin or something?" Hermione met his gaze deadly on, brown locks forming some kind of halo as she shook her head.

"What happened, Harry?" she repeated, one hand reaching out to smother his wild hair, stroking some of them along the way in a soothing manner.

"I…" Harry sputtered, "…remember going inside for the Ritual. And then, colors were everywhere. All kinds, but then they were gone, leaving behind only green. Nothing else but green. Dark, dark green…"

"Harry!" Hermione snapped, effectively making him blink, drawing him out of his daze, "Dumbledore said he wanted to see you the moment you awake."

"Dumbledore… right." He couldn't shake off the image of those eyes. Why the hell did they seem so familiar? Had he seen the person that owned them before?

His eyes snapped to Hermione, feeling them go wide as the pieces snapped into place.

"Green… Slytherin…diary…Chamber…" Hermione was by now scowling like no other, disbelieving eyes boring into Harry's crazed ones and the silent question 'What are you talking about?' hovering over them both with an undoubted weight.

"…I need to speak to Dumbledore." He stepped away from her but before he could move towards the door, a loud hiss resonated throughout the dorm, making Harry jump this time. He only managed to catch a glimpse of a fluffy tail withdrawing from under his foot before disappearing behind Hermione's legs.

What the hell was a cat doing all the way up to the dormitories?

"Harry, what's-" Hermione started but Harry had already bolted out of the room before she could finish, hearing her shouting his name over and over as he made his way down the stairs and into the common room.

He nearly ran into the person entering from the portrait in his haste, but years of Seeker reflexes had taken their toll on him, helping him sidestep before the inevitable occurred. Mumbling a quick apology, he set off again before freezing on his step when a bark caught his attention.

Turning around slowly, Harry blinked at the sight of that puppy next to the person he had almost knocked over.

"Harry, what are you…?" a familiar blue eyed boy murmured in puzzlement, but Harry shook his head before waving him off.

"I'll explain later!" he yelled over his shoulder to Ron, rushing off to the Grand Staircase with a single destination in mind.

He was running, but only vaguely took notice of it, choosing instead to focus on his rapid breathing. There was something seriously wrong with his brain. The conclusion he had come up with had to be wrong. It couldn't, shouldn't be right.

Before he knew it, he was speaking the very same password he had used only a few hours ago in order to get passage and then he was right outside of Dumbledore's office.

Panting heavily, Harry braced himself with his hand against the door, willing his breath to come back and his panic to go away.

"You really expect me to believe such an irrational logic?" The voice had Harry frozen in place. Deep, almost baritone and with an illegal allure etched to it. A voice that had hunted him for weeks after that eventful incident… a voice he wished he could forget.

Placing both palms on the wooden surface, the raven haired teen pushed the door open without trouble, body pausing the very instant he had stepped in.

No, what he was seeing wasn't possible.

A figure was standing there, hands on Dumbledore's desk and back slightly curved forwards. And when the figure turned, he was met with the same dark green pools that he had drawn into right before passing out.

He was exactly the way he remembered him; broad shoulders but with a frame as thin as his own, hair as black as his but way more tamed with a fringe obscuring half of his right eye and definitely a head or two taller than him.

Those green eyes were literally boring into his form, taking in every little detail that was in display for them and making Harry feel like he was under an interrogation of sort.

The other teen then folded his arms over his chest, eyes narrowing ever so lightly besides the rather smug expression that had taken over his features.

"Hello, Harry Potter." the boy said, greeting him exactly the same way he had when responding in his diary, causing Harry to clench his jaw from the reminder.

Harry bristled, purposely ignoring the fact that Riddle already knew his name and the boy altogether, making instead his way over to Dumbledore's desk, staring at the calm as ever Headmaster with a temper ready to explode. How could the man just sit there like nothing was out of place and acting all calm and composed?

"Sir, what's going on here?" he finally asked, aware that he was glaring when the elder wizard made no move whatsoever to reply, seemingly content with merely studying his face.

"I believe introductions are hardly necessary, don't you think so boys?" Harry snorted and was alarmed when his action was duplicated. He turned angry emerald eyes to glare at the person standing only a few feet away, meeting Riddle's amused gaze dead on.

But then Riddle shifted his gaze towards Dumbledore, which instantly hardened upon contact with those blue eyes. "Tell him what you told me, professor. His reaction will definitely be worthy."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed with a short nod, making Harry's eyes snap to him with a start, "I do believe a little explaining is in order. However…" Those bright blue eyes were instantly on him and Harry would be lying if he didn't admit the nervousness that suddenly washed over him, "first things first. It is essential that we hear Harry's enlightenment on the matter before we proceed to any explanations."

Now Harry was genuinely feeling like he was under interrogation, the way two pairs of eyes were staring so intently at him, studying and watching his every move.

It was pretty clear they were waiting for him to say something. But how was that possible when he didn't even know the subject of their conversation, and the fact that a very much young Dark Lord was there conversing with Dumbledore like they were old pals was of no help.

"What were your exact thoughts during the Ritual?" Ah, so Dumbledore must have seen the clueless look on his face and was kind enough to offer his assistance. But right then and there, Harry wished he hadn't.

How was he going to voice the subject that his thoughts had been focusing on in that time? And certainly not with the very object of those thoughts standing only a breath away.

"I was thinking of getting a familiar that'd help me defeat Voldemort, of getting a familiar as strong as Nagini." he admitted, surprised with even himself that his voice had come out so… sincere? Well, it was half the truth, after all.

"Who's Nagini?" He was seriously tempted to laugh at this, hearing that question coming out of Riddle's mouth, but the moment he caught sight of those green eyes, his intended words caught at his throat.

"Seriously now?" Harry questioned instead, brows furrowing at the genuine interest on the wizard's face. "You really don't know who Nagini is?" It wasn't his fault he couldn't help the bewilderment from his tone. The things happening today… were not an every day occurrence.

"Unless I've spoken to another language, I believe I made myself quite clear." Riddle's oh so smart reply had Harry's lips curling into a snarl, head turning away and focusing on Dumbledore, restricting himself not to do something irrational.

He didn't however keep from hissing out quite a number of swearing words in Parseltongue, fully aware that Riddle was the only other individual capable of understanding them.

The stricken look on the wizard's face was simply priceless, whether from hearing the snake language or from having someone valiant enough swear at him, Harry didn't know and he didn't care either.

"Professor," Harry began, "clearly this is Voldemort." Dumbledore didn't so much as bat an eye at his declaration, merely stealing a glance at Riddle before looking right back to Harry, a soft, almost teasing smile playing at lips.

"In a way, yes."

Ignoring that 'in a way' comment, Harry went on, "I don't know how, but I must have probably brought him here with the ceremony?"

"That you have, Harry." Dumbledore answered with that ever so soft smile.

Okay, so it seemed that he would have to do all the asking and Dumbledore the answering. Fine. Anything to finally get some answers.

"Sir, I'm pretty sure that something like this can't possibly be considered normal." He made a sweeping motion with his hand towards the seemingly apathetic teen that was studying his fingernails with such a devotion, making it seem as if they were far more interesting than the conversation taking place. "Any suggestions about what could have caused this?"

From Dumbledore's pleased softening of the eyes, he could tell that he had finally asked the right question, though the elder wizard's expression didn't falter as he spoke next.

"Oh, there's a plethora of suggestions, all of them questionable. We could blame it on the connection you share with Voldemort and all would be well. However…" that foreboding twinkle was now back, "we shouldn't neglect the fact that this was a Summoning Ritual, in a literal way."

Dumbledore paused then, glancing between him and Riddle with an unreadable expression, an exceptionally ominous look to Harry's opinion.

"Your magic acted precisely as it was supposed to, Harry. It brought forth the vessel of your thoughts, but your mind was at the time occupied with thoughts of Nagini and exceedingly, Lord Voldemort. Although, it seems that the person you summoned wasn't Voldemort as we know him, but rather his teenage self, for this young man here has no recollection of his future self's activities in these last years."

Harry's eyes, that had gone comically wide by the end of Dumbledore's speech, grew even larger if that was possible. The Headmaster nodded, all too satisfied that the boy was catching on.

"Yes, Harry. The only memories that Tom possesses do not go beyond his sixth year here at Hogwarts."

Needless to say, Harry's jaw threatened to reach the level of the floor. But was that even possible? It would, however, explain certain things, such as the wizard's refreshed looks and a certain lack of knowledge concerning individuals that had come later on in Riddle's life. But still…

"But, sir…" Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he addressed the Headmaster, "every wizard and witch get their familiars in their sixth year. Doesn't that mean that Riddle should remember his?"

A low chuckle caught his attention and he peered from the corner of his eye at the source, just in time to see Riddle shaking his head in a real amused fashion.

"You really are no bright one, are you?" Riddle questioned with that smug little smirk never leaving his face.

Harry turned to face him fully, teeth clenched tightly together.

"In my time, magical children used to get their familiars in their seventh year of education. Obviously, this was later on considered an inconvenience, and therefore it was decided that the young wizards and witches in training should get their familiars during their sixth year, in order to get to know better the being they would spend a lifetime with." Riddle cast a sideways glance at Dumbledore who leaned back on his chair and laced his fingers together, elbows propped up to the armrests and gazed at the two of them expectantly, obviously waiting to see where this would lead to.

Since the elder wizard made no move to correct Riddle's words, the latter folded his arms over his chest, chin rising ever so slightly as he gazed at Harry with a superior confidence, "Something that you'd have probably been aware of, if you had only considered asking."

Harry's hands balled into fists seemingly on their own accord, but he was all too aware of the way his knuckles were turning white from the force he was putting into controlling his emotions.

Willing himself not to fall for Riddle's bait and react to the taunt, the teen whirled around and forced himself to focus on anything else but the other boy, even the grain of dust on the items on Dumbledore's desk would suffice for the time being.

"Then how do we turn this…situation, back? Because, if you don't mind, sir, I would like to have my familiar with me sometime this year." Dumbledore's shoulders grew suspiciously stiff all of the sudden, something that didn't go unnoticed by Harry.

A foreboding feeling began to steadily chew on his gut as the silence stretched on, making his insides clench with uneasiness.

He really dreaded whatever was about to follow.

"You see, Harry…" Dumbledore began almost hesitantly, a fact that caused Harry's uneasiness to intensify tenfold, "that is exactly the most peculiar thing. Much like yourself, more of your classmates had a similar occurrence. They happened to be thinking strongly about a specific animal and, therefore, summoned it. But that didn't make those animals their familiars; they ended up disappearing after a while and your fellows had to retry until they finally summoned the animal that was meant for them.

"In other words, it matters not that you called a human in your first try. As I said, the peculiar thing is that Mr. Riddle was, in fact, accepted by the Contract." That was it. Harry's insides had frozen all over, he was almost sure that he had actually stopped breathing for a moment there.

More wrinkles made their appearance on Dumbledore's forehead as he leaned forward in his seat, his eyes studying Harry's face with alarmed worry.

"…The Contract-" the boy finally said, his voice croaking somewhere along the way, "surely you don't mean…-?"

Dumbledore breathed a deep sigh. How he hated weighting the boy, this unfortunate, poor boy with even more burdens. But he had witnessed with his own eyes the intensity of the boy's soul; his will was the strongest he had ever seen, brave yet kind at the same time. They had poured all of their hopes and dreams onto one little child, because that's exactly what he had been when he was dragged into this merciless war, an innocent, little child.

When everyone had expected for him to give up, when everyone would have understood even if he had done so, this boy had shocked them all by doing exactly the opposite. Even when all hope seemed to be lost for him, Harry had kept going.

Yet, as Dumbledore lifted his wand, he couldn't fail to ponder how the odds always seemed to be against the underage wizard.

"_**Redimio Pactum."**_

Almost instantly, a golden thread materialized out of nowhere, and Harry was unable to prevent the gasp from leaving his lips once he realized its purpose. That thin, golden thread was wrapped all around his right hand, forming strange patterns as it encircled his fingers, palm and seemed to stop only at his wrist.

But that wasn't all.

Following the length of the thread with his eyes, Harry's heart sank at the sight of it connected to Riddle's left hand. Now, Riddle on the other hand, seemed genuinely fascinated by the display of magic, turning his hand this way and that and studying the thread as if it was the most peculiar puzzle he had laid eyes upon, completely ignorant of Harry's inner turmoil.

"As you are aware, the _Redimio Pactum _can only be seen by the bonded pair, but I take it that its effect must have taken its toll." Harry jerked his wide eyes to Dumbledore, refusing to let the man's words sink in, for if he did, it would mean they were true.

Seeing the denial in those green eyes, Dumbledore's eyes softened in sympathy. No matter how strongly the boy refused to believe it, that one fact wouldn't change, "Harry…Tom was accepted by the Binding Contract, the magical seal that binds contractor and familiar together."

Harry shook his head, eyes drifting back to the golden thread and watching as it faded into a dull shade of orange before disappearing completely. Oh, how he wished this new predicament he had worked himself into would disappear like that as well.

He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing turning more rapid. It was as if the walls were closing all around him, greedy to squish him, to finish him off.

He needed air. He needed… to get out.

His gaze found that of Dumbledore's. "I understand what you said, sir, but I can't… not right away." Swallowing the lump that had risen to his throat, Harry lowered his head, "I need some time."

And with that, Harry turned on his heels and sped off, not daring to glance at Dumbledore's surely disappointed face and certainly not Riddle's triumphant one.

He went down the spiral staircase and from then on he ran all the way up to Gryffindor Tower. From the sound of it, all sixth years must have been outside, enjoining their first time with their familiars. And he could most definitely use some time on his own, to organize his thoughts and just… make a sense out of them.

But as he stepped through the Portrait hole and caught sight of the two people that were pacing on the common room floor, he realized that what he needed more at the moment, was most definitely _not_ to remain alone with his thoughts.

Ron and Hermione paused abruptly in their anxious pacing, the entire common room filling with their silence as their gazes locked, none of them wanting to speak up first.

Allowing a deep breath to fill his lungs, Harry leaned against the nearest wall, eyes never leaving those of his friends'. A choked chuckle rose in his throat, that made the other two blink, "Remind me why is everything so fucked up with me again?"

A small, relieved smile tugged at Hermione's lips as she shook her head, Ron's grin following soon after, "You're Harry Potter, mate. When have things ever been normal with you?"

The three of them chuckled at that, the chuckles soon turning into full blown laughter as they stared at each other, knowing all too well what the answer to that question was.

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**

**Finally! The mystery is unraveled.**

**Thanks to all those of you who have provided their support!**

**In the next chapter; How will Harry cope with the situation, what are the familiars of the more main characters and what about Voldemort?**

**Till next time!**


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